In January 2021, Eugenie Mukantagwera’s family expressed concerns about her weight, prompting them to encourage her to adopt a healthier lifestyle. At that time, she weighed 130kgs.

Mukantagwera, the country director of Christian Blind Mission (CBM) International, aged 57, remembers gaining an excessive amount of weight. Her family warned her, that she could contract serious illnesses or even face death if she did not do something about it.

According to a national wide survey by Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), the number of overweight people in Rwanda increased from 14 per cent in 2013 to 18.6 per cent in 2022.

The findings highlighted that obesity is more predominant in women than men, noting that the number of overweight women increased from 19 per cent in 2013 to 26 per cent in 2022. For men, a slight increase was recorded from 9 per cent to 11.5 per cent during the same period.

The journey to healthy weight loss is possible, though it requires persistence, patience, discipline, and support, according to Mukantagwera, who eventually lost 45kgs in three years.

"I mostly used cars as a means of transport, because motorcyclists refused to take me anywhere as I was overweight, and perhaps thought I wouldn’t fit on their ‘motos’. Boarding a bus was also futile as passengers always grumbled that sitting next to them was making them uncomfortable. Some of them boldly told me that I inconvenienced them because I was too big. This triggered my frustration,” the mother of five and grandmother of one, says.

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Before the weight loss

Mukantagwera has no doubt that her diet led to her weight increase, as she enjoyed bread, sugary foods, and snacks.

Due to her demanding job, which required her to work long hours during the day and weekends, she had little time to incorporate exercise into her routine.

Mukantagwera’s daily routine of leaving home, going to work and sitting for long periods of time, and returning home again likely contributed to her gaining excess weight.

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"My weight had become such a concern to my family that my son pushed me to seek a solution. He connected me to his colleague who initiated ‘Slim n’ Fit’ Rwanda with the aim of ushering me to a life of exercise, with hopes of losing the excess fat,” she says.

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In February 2021, Mukantagwera joined the wellness centre, where she and the team were provided guidance on creating a balanced diet through a proper meal plan. The coach had them regularly share their diets to make sure they were following the recommended nutrition plan.

Convinced that achieving her goals required some level of self-discipline, she eliminated bread, sugar, and milk from her diet. She maintained her commitment and persevered with patience, even though the results were not as swift as she had anticipated.

Beginning an exercise and healthy eating regimen during the pandemic was difficult for her, as the team was unable to gather regularly due to social distancing guidelines.

"Due to the surge in Covid-19 cases, our team was unable to meet in person for our daily evening meetings. However, our coach encouraged us to stay active by downloading exercise videos of aerobics and exercising individually.

"Despite the difficulty of the exercises, I kept my focus on the bigger picture, persevered, and followed the coaches’ instructions and advice,” she says.

But then Mukantagwera’s patience began to wane due to the ineffectiveness of the exercises, and she sought out an alternative—she purchased an exercise bike. It was expensive, and she paid for it in three instalments.

In addition to aerobics, her preferred form of exercise was walking, as it was free and did not require any special equipment.

"I made time for exercise despite my busy schedule by walking 20-25 kilometres on weekends. I would wake up at 6am and be out the door by 6:30am, and I continue to do this every Saturday,” she says.

‘Watch what you eat’

Mukantagwera was encouraged to incorporate more vegetables, fish, or chicken into her diet, particularly for the main dish. If these foods are not accessible, avocado, an egg, or growing vegetables at home are viable alternatives, she suggests.

Mukantagwera starts her day by drinking at least one litre of water for body cleansing. At around 10 am, she enjoys a cup of green tea. She then continues to drink about three litres of water throughout the day.

She follows a strict meal plan of light meals such as vegetables and porridge, but her coach has granted her a ‘cheat day’—one day of the weekend to indulge in whatever she desires. On her designated "treat day”, she indulges in rice and her favourite sugary treats, disregarding her diet restrictions.

Exercise and a healthy diet, however, have now become her lifestyle.

It’s not easy

Mukantagwera found that losing weight was not easy, as work and her personal life often kept her busy, making it difficult to find time for herself.

She highlights that a major obstacle for those attempting to lose weight is often judgment and negative comments from their environment, which can be too much for some to bear and lead to giving up.

"People who make careless comments about weight loss, such as claiming it is unhealthy or a sign of aging, can be damaging. For example, statements like "you’re losing your beauty as you lose weight” or "you’re likely to get sick if you continue to lose weight”,” she says.

Advice and the way forward

She encourages people to consult health professionals before beginning a weight loss program, as different diets may be more or less effective for different individuals. Our bodies vary, and certain foods may cause weight gain in some individuals while having no effect on others.

Monitor your weight regularly to track any changes and identify potential causes, she recommends.

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Mukantagwera emphasises the difficulty of sustaining weight loss, noting that while it is possible to reach one’s goals, maintaining them can be challenging.

She has lost 45kgs, bringing her weight to 85kgs, but her goal is to reach a weight of less than 80kgs.

She emphasises the importance of having a supportive team when striving to combat obesity, noting that her family has been a great source of encouragement, even when progress was slow, they gave her rewards.

"You can join weight loss groups, read books, or reach out to people who have successfully lost weight for advice. I am also available to help, offering exercise routines and diet plans. However, it is important to remember that weight loss takes time and dedication—it doesn’t happen overnight,” she says.

Mukantagwera has been sharing the importance of healthy eating, exercise, and going to the gym with her colleagues at work, and they have responded positively, implementing her advice and seeing positive results.